A Promise
by Whispering Hope
Summary: Oneshot. It all began with a night… not so long ago, when two people came under a starry sky to make a promise. CloudxAerith. Fluff.


**A Promise**

**Author: **Whispering Hope**  
Summary: **It all began with a night… not so long ago, when two people came under a starry sky to make a promise.  
**Pairing:** Cloud x Aerith**  
Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts and its characters. They belong to Square Enix.

* * *

Aerith knows how hard it is to lose people. At a young age, the world she belonged to had been destroyed by the heartless, and she had lost her mother. But Ansem had saved her - and many others. In his world at Hollow Bastion, she had slowly learnt how to defend herself, and she had learnt how to love. The gentle girl still remembers the day the heartless broke out at the castle - and how Cid had rescued Squall, Yuffie and her… She remembers how they had reached Traverse Town after a series of events. 

The brown-haired girl knows more than everyone gives her credit for. She has had her share of hardships, her share of losses… And Aerith knows what it's like to lose one's light.

Or even… one's darkness.

Aerith misses him, the boy she had learnt to love back in the world of Hollow Bastion, and though she has not seen him for a while now; in her heart, she can sense that he's alive, and that he's searching, too. She remembers the promise they made to each other, one night, in one of the many silent, creepy gardens around the castle, under a starry sky.

The green-eyed female turns the lights of the house on, and exit's the house - her staff in hand. She throws out spells of fire, of ice and time at the Heartless that leap at her and they vanish in no time. She knows how weak the Heartless of Traverse Town are, and she is glad for it.

Aerith looks up into the dark sky, and enjoys the cool breeze that blows and toys with her hair. Traverse Town - at the darkest hour - was cold and eerie, but it was also the time when the stars shone the brightest, and it was also the time she could try and name the planets she had seen before. It was also the time she could speak, without fear of anyone interrupting.

It was always the same things she said, the same things she prayed for; peace, to be able to return back to Hollow Bastion - her true home, to be able to meet him again…

Then she'll look up into the sky, spot a falling star… and hope.

-

He hopes.

He dreams of her every night - the light he's always been searching for. The light's he fighting for. But he'll wake up, screaming - remembering the night he lost her, remembering the night the Heartless came and devoured all the weak hearts among them.

Cloud knows she's still alive, somewhere, out there. He knows Squall would take care of her.

The golden-haired man reaches out for his sword and faces his opponent calmly.

_But you've gotta fight that kid to get to him. Come on._

He blinks, hesitating, but only slightly. The boy's hair reminds him of her hair, the exact color… the exact hue. The warrior smirks, wondering if his missing her had finally gone to his brain, but he shook his head and swung his sword - letting the power in him fly free.

He loses.

_Hey, are you all right?_

He looks up to see the kid again.

_So why did you go along with him, anyway?_

Blue eyes narrow, and he remembers a promise. He remembers _her_.

_You'll find it. I'm searching, too._

Cloud walks away, his head held high and looks back when the kid doesn't, a smile lingering on his lips.

"You could be her…"

_-_

Under full moon and starry sky, they had made a promise.

"What happens if we get separated, Cloud? Why you come looking for me?"

"I'll come for looking for you. I'm your bodyguard, remember?"

She remembers.

"So don't die on me."

"I won't. Besides, I think you'd knew if I died."

"How would I know?"

She lifts a hand and places it on his chest, smiling.

"You'll know."

Under a darkened sky, and stars bright.

They had made a promise.

-

She always leaves the light on, just in case some poor soul had lost their world, and needed to escape the Heartless. The light would beckon them forward, into the house… and they would be shielded and protected.

She takes in upon herself to protect just this district, to keep travellers safe from the wandering Heartless.

Just like how he had always protected her.

-

He knows she is safe. Squall had told him.

And now, three of them, including Yuffie, work to break his chains from the evil God. He begs them not to tell her that they know where he is… He wants to be free of darkness before he seeks her light… even if her light could vanquish the darkness that is taking over him… The golden-haired man wants to prove to her that he can break free of it himself.

And so they fight.

They fight the brown-haired kid again - the one Squall and Yuffie affectionately refer to as Sora.

Sora. He tries out the name on his tongue once. Then twice.

But always, _always_, he comes back to her name.

-

"No, I'm being serious here. How would we know where the other is, if we're separated? Wait."

"Cloud?"

He looks up to the stars, and points at one of them. The brightest one of all.

"Remember that star, Aerith?"

"Uh-huh, that's the star of hope, isn't it?"

"Why don't we do this, then? Every night, we'll look at that star, and we'll think of each other."

"Then our hearts can be one."

"Then we'll know where each of us are."

"And we'll know that we can find each other someday."

"…someday," they chorus in harmony.

Under dark night, full moon and a bright starry sky.

They had made a promise.

_-owari-

* * *

_**Author's Notes:** It always comes down to this, starting to type something, before ending up with something else. But I loved the freedom I had when typing this. It's been so long since I had a story without slash in it. Cloud x Aerith has always been my one OTP throughout the whole of my experience in Kingdom Hearts.

Anywaaaay. I hope you enjoyed this piece of fanfiction, as much as I had enjoyed typing this._  
_


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